June 19, 2024 • 49 mins
When we think of forest management and forestry, we often conjure up images of large swaths of untouched land with trees that span for kilometres on end. But did you know that forest management can play an important role in cities too? The shade of a tree canopy provides cooling in the city and trees help manage drought and floods. This week we sit down with Kim Statham, the City of Toronto’s Director of Urban Forestry to learn more.
Kim talks about what urban forestry is and her office’s role of managing, stewarding, and developing programming for Toronto’s urban forest. We discuss some of the challenges the city’s canopy is facing, what opportunities are available, and the programs the city is undertaking to meet its canopy cover goals and promote the urban landscape’s biodiversity and climate resilience.
Check out Toronto's Tree City of the World Award news release.
Make sure to check out the show notes on the podcast webpage for more links and helpful resources.
You can help this community grow by sharing the podcast with your friends.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jan Sumner (00:00):
Welcome to the Clear Cut.
Hi, I'm Janet Sumner, ExecutiveDirector at Wildlands League.
Kaya Adleman (00:08):
And I'm Kaya Adelman, Carbon Manager at
Wildlands League.
Jan Sumner (00:14):
Wildlands League is a Canadian conservation
organization working onprotecting the natural world.
Kaya Adleman (00:21):
The Clear Cut is bringing to you the much-needed
conversation on Canadian forestmanagement and how we can better
protect one of Canada's mostimportant ecosystems, as our
forests are reaching a tippingpoint.
Jan Sumner (00:40):
All right, before we get started, and we've got a
terrific introduction with KimStatham from the City of Toronto
, who manages the urban forestryfor the city.
She manages forestry for theentire city of Toronto.
(01:06):
She doesn't have a line ofsight on some of these very
contentious issues whereforestry is happening or where
trees are being removed, forexample, with Ontario Place,
where 850 trees are slated to beremoved.
Kaya Adleman (01:16):
For our listeners who aren't living in Toronto
what is Ontario Place?
Jan Sumner (01:21):
Right.
So it's a development down onthe waterfront in Toronto.
It has been a destination for anumber of years to go to
concerts or to go for someevents.
They've had some Winterfestevents there, etc.
It's right across the lakeshoreportion of the Canadian
National Exhibition, across fromthe CNE, so that's
(01:43):
approximately where it is in thecity of Toronto.
It's a little bit west of thedowntown core and for a number
of years there had been someconsideration to put a casino
there and then that was revampedand I gather they're going to
put a large spa there andthey're talking about it being a
destination place for fivemillion visitors a year is uh,
(02:05):
yeah, I don't know, kaya, if yousaw the news.
You may not have, but lastnight the judges ruled that the
court case brought by the group,so the friends of ontario place
, couldn't go forward becausethere had been a new law passed
by the province of ontario, bythe premier, that did not allow
an environmental assessment togo forward on Ontario Place,
where there are these 850 treesand the group had been asking
(02:28):
for, you know, a chance to getan environmental assessment done
there.
Kaya Adleman (02:34):
And last night on June 11th yeah, at the time
we're recording this.
Jan Sumner (02:38):
Yeah.
So I'm sure there are somefolks around the city who are
feeling a little bit bruised bythat today around the city who
are feeling a little bit bruisedby that today, and this is all
a loss to the city of Toronto.
When we have to lose, you know,in some cases 1,500 trees and
in some cases, like the OntarioPlace one with 850 mature trees.
So these are all losses thatyou know, we don't kind of sit
(03:00):
down as a city and say what doesthis mean?
Overall, they're almost likeisolated incidences.
I'm sure this is happeningacross Canada, it's not just the
city of Toronto, although youmay not have had legislation
introduced by your premier toprevent you from looking at
endangered species orenvironmental assessments, but
the same problem is there interms of urban forestry.
(03:22):
There are so many things eatingaway at the pockets of nature
and it's not necessarilyhappening in a thoughtful,
concerted plan.
What can it control?
And when does the province comein and say, well, no, we're
(03:48):
going to take this over, orwe're going to manage this, or
you don't get a line of sightand you can't challenge it and
you can't look at endangeredspecies or an environmental
assessment.
So that's a context everybodyshould have in mind and this
discussion that we're havingwith Kim.
Even though she is managingforestry urban forestry for the
city of Toronto, she doesn'thave a line of sight on
everything.
She talks about.
That in the pod.
Kaya Adleman (04:09):
Yeah.
Jan Sumner (04:13):
Okay, kaya, we are just about to start our
interview with Kim Statham, andI've known Kim ooh, it's
definitely over 10 years, I cantell you, Janet, it's 17.
Kim Statham (04:27):
17.
Because I joined your boardwhen I was eight months pregnant
with my first born daughter.
Jan Sumner (04:33):
Oh, my goodness.
Okay.
So 17 years I've known Kim andwe've invited her here to.
We often are talking aboutforestry and everybody thinks,
oh, it's all this forestrythat's out there in the big wide
world and it's commercial andit's big feller bunches and all
the rest of it.
But today we get a treatbecause we're going to go inside
the depths of the city oftoronto and start talking about
(04:54):
urban forestry, which is very,very important, uh, for people
who live in cities, but also forthe planet and for nature and,
more broadly, for Canada.
So hopefully we get into all ofthat good stuff and I'm looking
forward to this.
How about you, kaya?
Kaya Adleman (05:10):
Oh, I'm really excited.
I mean, I'm an urbanist that'sone of my identifiers and I love
trees and I love cities and Ilove the crossover between the
two.
So I'm very excited to havethis discussion.
Jan Sumner (05:28):
All right, Kim, tell us a little bit about you other
than the fact that we've knowneach other 17 years and it was
at the eight months pregnant.
That's right.
Kim Statham (05:38):
That's right.
No rest for the wicked.
Well so pleased to be here.
I have worked in service ofToronto's urban forest for 25
years this year, so I have along history, like you, of
living in a city, playing in acity and being really interested
, passionate and dedicated abouttrees and natural environment
(06:02):
in urban environmentsenvironment in urban
environments.
I'm currently the director ofToronto Urban Forestry.
I look after tree planting,forest and natural area
management, tree protection andall of our policy standards and
strategies.
I have the best portfolio Really, uh work.
(06:23):
And I, I think you know maybe Icame came by this work
naturally.
In fact, I might actually comeby it genetically.
I'm the great granddaughter oflumberjacks, uh, from the
penitent wishing area.
But before I even knew that, Istarted a career in
environmental science.
My background is landscapeecology.
I've studied conservationpolicy.
(06:47):
I grew up in the 70s and 80swhere we got kicked out at
sunrise and we didn't come homeuntil the streetlights were on.
I grew up in the GTA and spenta lot of summers with family in
the Ottawa area.
I was that kid who just got tonature play, explore forests,
(07:10):
explore species all day long,first one in, last one out of
the lake.
That's about as natural as youcome by a career and a lifelong
passion, I think.
Jan Sumner (07:22):
I think, being the descendant of lumberjacks, just
about says it all.
Kim Statham (07:30):
I have some work to do.
That's fantastic.
Kaya Adleman (07:42):
For our listeners and the purposes of the podcast
episode, could you maybe likedefine what urban forestry is
and how it's different than justthe traditional sense of the
word forestry?
Kim Statham (07:51):
Sure, well, if any of your listeners are.
You know forestry students, thevery first definition you learn
is from Jorgensen, and you know1974, urban forestry was
defined as a specialized branchof forestry and has its
objectives to the cultivationand management of trees for
their present and potentialcontribution to the
psychological, sociological andeconomic well-being of urban
(08:16):
society.
So decades ago we recognizethat value of trees in an urban
setting and we still see thattoday.
You know I wake up everymorning, as you know, director
of Toronto Urban Forestry.
My day could be about trees, itcould be about soil, it could be
(08:39):
about fundraising, it could beabout community programming, it
could be about partnerships,growing conditions, amazing
studies, like our tree canopystudies.
It inherently links nature andtrees to communities and cities
(09:00):
that depend on them and it's avery different type of
management than you would see intraditional forestry, in crown
forests or in other large areas,for that matter.
Urban forestry is different forevery city, whether you're a
town, hamlet, one of the largestcities in North America, it
looks different.
But I feel that the keyingredient is that relationship,
(09:21):
that key relationship betweentrees and people wow, that's a
pretty big job, kim yeah, 25years and counting yeah, you
must have.
Well, you certainly sound likeyou have a deep and abiding
passion for it I do and, um, youknow, one thing that someone
(09:45):
commented to me, uh, once wasreally that same interest and
dedication of all of my team.
You know, people choose to gointo forestry, people choose to
go into environmental sciencefor all kinds of reasons and I
really find that my team, thefolks that I interact with,
(10:05):
we're here for all the rightreasons and we're so passionate
about it.
You know, whether it's you know, folks that are studying
invasive species or forest pests, whether it's, you know, my
team that is enforcing bylaws,looking at development review,
folks who are choosing species,the right species for our
(10:28):
streets, for our parks, for ournatural areas, folks who are
writing policies and strategiesto help us.
You know, get there and guidethe way.
We all have a really, reallyinnate love for this work that
we do.
Jan Sumner (10:44):
And I would hazard to say that the people of
Toronto have an innate love forhow green the city is.
So you mentioned all thedifferent things that you do at
(11:06):
the city of Toronto.
Can you maybe unpack that alittle bit more?
The organizational structurelike which?
Which department do you sit inand like?
Kim Statham (11:14):
yeah, toronto urban forestry is within parks,
forestry and recreation divisionat the city of Toronto.
We're a frontline division, wehave a lot of interaction with
the public, we are, we aremanagers, we're stewards, we're
programmers of public space andpublic realm and the work that
(11:35):
we do is so important to thequality of life, to the
livability of cities, and thework that we do is very
interesting and very important.
Jan Sumner (11:49):
And how much land are we talking about, like what
is the?
I mean, obviously in a citythere's roads and you know,
public spaces like peopleshopping and homing, home spaces
, et cetera, but what are wetalking about in terms of the
amount of land that you'remanaging?
Kim Statham (12:09):
So we have over 1500 parks in the city of
Toronto.
We define our ravine lands orour natural areas, and we have
17% of Toronto's land base isprotected by our ravine and
natural feature bylaw.
(12:29):
That's important because itrecognizes the topography and
these really unique naturalspaces.
30% of Toronto's populationlive within a 10 to 15 minute
walk of one of these naturalareas.
That's incredible in terms ofaccess access to nature, access
(12:54):
to trees and forests and I thinkthat you know 30% equates to
over a million people, so that'sa very incredible resource.
Jan Sumner (13:08):
Yeah, that's really fantastic and I think you were
mentioning this to us beforethat the ravine system in
Toronto, I mean it's one of theplaces that you can't build a
house on right.
It is protected as a naturalarea.
Kim Statham (13:24):
Not every city has that luxury argue, one of the
things that makes Toronto uniqueis that natural topography and
is this ravine system.
We have six rivers, threemassive watersheds, six in total
that run through the city.
You know, along with theToronto and Region Conservation
(13:44):
Authority regulations, we havequite a lot of protected area in
this city and I argue that wehave.
That's why we have 89ecologically sensitive areas.
It's why we have a tree canopyof roughly 31%, it's why we have
(14:04):
11.5 million trees in Torontoon both public and private land.
It's really our natural historythat has shaped how our city
has grown and how we have andcontinue to protect and conserve
these natural areas.
Jan Sumner (14:23):
So I know some cities have a canopy cover
target or they might have avegetation target.
Does Toronto have one?
Kim Statham (14:31):
We do.
Our tree canopy target is 40%by 2050.
And that aligns with the goodfolks and colleagues in our
environment and climate divisionwho have net zero goals by 2040
as well as 2050.
Jan Sumner (14:48):
Can you draw me the you said it aligns with them?
Can you maybe say a little bitmore about what that alignment
is?
Kim Statham (14:54):
Well, net zero is about emission reduction,
greenhouse gas emissionreduction, and we see that
primarily in a lot of cities.
You know see that in thebuilding sector and
transportation sector.
You know see that in thebuilding sector and
transportation sector, Trees,green infrastructure are, and
(15:15):
ultimately, nature basedsolutions are a huge part of
climate resiliency of cities.
And so when we look at, well,how are we drawing down, how are
we reducing greenhouse gasemissions?
Well, what's here, on the otherside of in our green
infrastructure, what issequestering carbon, what is
storing carbon perpetually, eventhough forests are a natural
(15:36):
system constantly growing,maturing, dying, growing again,
that that you know overallresource, that urban forest is
this perpetual cycle of carbonsequestration and storage.
And so these things need to gohand in hand, both the gray side
as well as the green side.
Jan Sumner (15:59):
And are you currently tracking how much
carbon is being absorbed by thecity's trees and forests?
Kim Statham (16:08):
So, like any good city, we want to know what we
have, and so Toronto hasundertaken now two tree canopy
studies, one in 2008 and one in2018.
And part of what we measure ina tree canopy study are those
environmental benefits, orecosystem services, if you will.
So in 2018, the annualecosystem services provided by
(16:33):
Toronto's urban forest equaled atotal of $55 million every year
, and that is broken down into$4 million in gross carbon
sequestration, $37.6 million inpollution removal, $4.8 million
in avoided runoff, million inpollution removal, 4.8 million
(16:56):
in avoided runoff and 8.2million in energy savings.
It's quite obvious how you knowthe you know trees benefit, the
energy efficiency of buildings,how our footprint, our access
to soil, plantable areas, how.
This is all one you know, oneyou know set of resources that
(17:17):
we need to measure.
Jan Sumner (17:19):
Yeah, I want to dig in a bit more there on that
because I know for some peoplethey may not think of these
terms, but because I've beenaround the block a couple of
times.
I've worked on a variety ofissues, from climate change to
nature conservation, and I knowthat one of the important things
that trees do in a city isthey're actually a cooling agent
(17:40):
, and that reduces our relianceon air conditioning for when it
gets really hot in the summer.
So if you're lucky enough inthe city of Toronto to be living
in an area that gets cooled bytrees, maybe your office, maybe
your home draws much less demandon the air cooling capacity for
(18:01):
the city, which can run quitehigh in a very, very hot summer.
That would be one way in whichtrees are providing that energy
benefit right.
Kim Statham (18:10):
Absolutely, and for those that don't have cooling
systems where they live or wherethey work.
This is where Toronto's parksystem and ravine system is a
sense of refuge.
We saw it through COVID for anumber of other reasons.
This dependence, this need forthese natural areas for people
(18:37):
to seek refuge, solitude,recreation, meeting places,
community hubs.
Think of, you know, think ofany hot summer day, you know,
living in Toronto, and thinkabout the streets you choose to
walk down.
Think about the parks that youchoose to visit.
Think about where you sit.
You know when you're in thatpark, and it will be in the
(19:01):
shade of a tree.
It will be next to, you know,one of our rivers, or maybe next
to Lake Ontario, lake Ontario.
We need these nature elementsin any big city to contribute to
it's a critical part of qualityof life and livability.
Jan Sumner (19:24):
We now have qualified to be able to run
commercials on our podcast.
This may not seem like a goodthing for some people, but for
us at the Clear Cut it's a verygood thing.
It means that you our publicare now downloading over a
thousand copies of each episodea month, which is fantastic, and
(19:47):
it puts us into a new bracketwhere people want to actually
advertise on the podcast.
We are going to do our verybest to make sure that the ads
that run on the podcast aresomething that may be of
relevance or of interest to you,and hope that you can listen to
these ads and see them as amarker of success and your faith
in the podcast.
So thank you so much forlistening to the Clear Cut.
(20:09):
I know that, kaya and Iappreciate it so very, very much
.
Thank you so much for listeningto the Clear Cut.
I know that Kaya and Iappreciate it so very, very much
.
Thank you.
And I know that the city ofToronto is trying to get to a
40% tree canopy cover and Iimagine that that has something
to do with also the distancefrom nature for the average
person.
Is there any kind of guidelinethat you're using to say, well,
(20:36):
we've got this much and we'regoing to try and hit this tree
canopy cover, but how do weactually make sure that
everybody is within I don't know?
20 minutes, half an hour,whatever it is?
What's your metric that you'reusing to say we have to have
access for nature, for this manyTorontonians?
Kim Statham (20:48):
So, back in 2021, we had finished our second tree
canopy study.
We were aware of the trendsthat we were seeing.
At that time.
We had seen that our canopy hadgenerally increased about 2%,
which is pretty significant,considering in that 10 years we
(21:12):
had the peak of emerald ashborer, one of well, north
America's greatest forest insectpests.
Our tree numbers increased byabout 1.3 million.
Our street tree conditionimproved, overall tree diversity
increased um.
(21:34):
But something remained over that10-year trend, and that was the
inequitable distribution ofToronto's urban forest.
Again, I think in large partdue to the natural topography of
the city.
We have areas that we didn'tdevelop, that we protect, we
(21:56):
have a really strong park systemand street tree network, but
inherently we have inequityacross our geography, and that
was something that we wanted toreally look at and deal with
straight on.
We adopted a tree equityapproach.
(22:19):
And what tree equity is?
It's a concept from Americanforests, an American
not-for-profit, who have anassessment tool that in cities,
it's not just about where yourcanopy is, but it's about these
key socio-equity factors thatshould be considered, like
(22:41):
demographics, like race, likeincome and surface temperature,
so where you know where are thehottest neighborhoods within a
city.
And so we did an analysis tolook at tree equity across
Toronto with all of these layers, and that is what is going to
(23:03):
guide our prioritization forintervention.
Tree equity is about allowingand having the benefits of trees
available to all of itscitizens, and I really love this
approach.
It is you know, we really takeequity as a factor in all of the
work that we do, and applyingit to tree equity and how we
(23:27):
expand Toronto's urban forest toreach that 40% goal is
imperative and it's necessary.
Kaya Adleman (23:37):
Did you find that, I guess where the percentage of
tree canopy was the highest inToronto often fell like a long
socioeconomic demographicfactors?
Kim Statham (23:50):
So Toronto's pattern of tree canopy is really
a reflection of our topography.
So Toronto's urban canopy ismade up, of course, from land on
public but as well as privateland, and patterns of
neighbourhoods correlate withour tree canopy.
(24:12):
And where we're looking to dothat, those interventions where
we see low tree equity, areareas that we look for available
space, we look for ability toimprove biodiversity and, of
course course, look at towardthe communities to be involved
(24:35):
in expanding canopies and at thevery neighborhood level.
Jan Sumner (24:40):
Mm-hmm.
So I liked what you were sayingthere in terms of we have kind
of the public places where wehave trees and vegetation.
We also have a city or the roadcanopy or what were you talking
about?
The city?
Kim Statham (25:02):
street.
Jan Sumner (25:02):
Oh, like a street tree canopy yeah, street tree
canopy, and then you also havecontributions that are made from
private land.
So, for example, in my backyardI have 10 nice big trees just
because I inherited that.
That's what was here when Imoved in, and I'm lucky enough
to have that because it was apiece of land that some family
(25:24):
had owned since the 1970s and sothe trees were still here and
it was fantastic.
In fact, a couple of thesetrees are close to 200 years old
.
So that's fantastic, right, butthat's something that I
inherited it, you know or notinherited?
I bought and it was here, butthat comes from a private land
contribution.
(25:44):
And then you've got the streetcanopy, and then you've got the
places where you might have aparquet or a park or a more
public space or a ravine whereyou have trees.
So all of those contribute tothat.
And are you like, obviouslyyou're not managing the trees on
my private land, but you'remanaging all the other trees,
right?
Kim Statham (26:03):
So we have a unique role to play on private land.
Back again in about 2021, ourtree planting strategy
identified neighborhoods,private land in neighborhoods,
as one of the best opportunitiesto expand Toronto's canopy and
(26:25):
since that time we've developedand grown a grants and
incentives program where weprovide free trees to individual
landowners, to community groups, to increase canopy on private
land.
We have an initiative right nowCommunity Canopies where you
can go online and register for afree tree.
(26:47):
This is in partnership with theArbor Day Foundation barriers
for home and landowners toincrease canopy and that's a
(27:08):
fantastic program.
I think to date we've given outapproximately 120,000 trees
through that program.
Jan Sumner (27:12):
I had one put on my front lawn.
Kim Statham (27:14):
There you go.
And then the other role we playon private land is through our
tree bylaws, is through our treebylaws.
Toronto has a suite of treeprotection bylaws for private
trees and properties within theravine lands where we regulate
tree removal and injury inservice of retaining Toronto's
(27:38):
existing tree canopy.
But also it gives us theability to minimize impacts and
maximize compensation when treesdo need to be removed or
injured for a variety of reasons.
Jan Sumner (28:04):
And is this something that, like?
I know that not every city hasthe wealth that Toronto does,
but I do know that many citieshave canopy targets or are
looking at vegetation targets,and I know that you don't just
you know, just go to your ownlittle office, but you're
actually networking and goingbeyond the city in terms of
understanding what is happeningout in the broader world.
(28:26):
Can you give us any insightinto that?
Kim Statham (28:31):
Well, you're right, natural systems, tree canopies
don't stop at our you knowgeographic and municipal borders
.
We have vegetation zones thatchange, so you know, species
that you see in southern Ontarioare different than the ones
that you see here on the northshore of Lake Ontario and that's
(28:53):
different than what you see innorthern Ontario.
What's important is, I think,that network of knowledge
management.
You know stewardship andthere's a number of different.
You know stewardship andthere's a number of different.
You know organizations thatkeep that in mind.
I was very honored to berecently elected to the Ontario
(29:14):
chapter of the InternationalSociety of Arbora Culture this
new board position for me, janetand it's been fantastic to
collaborate with not justmunicipal you know managers, but
with practitioners, withgrowers, with researchers and
academics.
(29:34):
We have a lot to learn fromeach other, especially at this
time where we're experiencingclimate change.
We're very curious what thatimpact will be on our vegetation
zones, on our growing seasons,how species react to whether
(29:56):
it's drought, whether it'sextreme temperature, and so it's
very important to have anetwork in urban forestry where
we can learn from each other andreally put those best practices
into place.
Jan Sumner (30:12):
What are some like?
We talked about urban forestryand some of that is individual
trees, sometimes it'scollections of trees, sometimes
it's different types ofvegetation with trees, et cetera
.
But if you were to sit down andthink about the areas in
Toronto that have like a forest,what would be some of your
favorites?
Kim Statham (30:31):
Oh, you're going to give away all my secrets here.
This is where you find mesauntering around on weekends.
Jan Sumner (30:36):
Yeah, yeah.
Kim Statham (30:38):
So when I started my career here at the city, I
was responsible to design andimplement restoration projects
in the ravines with the help ofcommunity volunteers.
To say that I started my career, as you know, with the gold
star.
That was it.
That was fantastic work.
I specifically looked after theUpper Don watershed.
(31:01):
So while the headwaters of theDon originate north of our
political boundaries for yourlisteners that includes the
branches of the West Don, theEast Don they travel south, meet
Taylor Massey Creek andcontinue as the Lower Don River
(31:22):
down toward Lake Ontario.
So a lot of the places that areclosest to my heart are the
ones where I worked with kids,adults, community members,
corporate events, where weplanted trees, we planted native
materials to improvebiodiversity, to improve the
(31:48):
ecological integrity of thesespaces.
Glendon Forest is located withinthe Sunnybrook Park complex at
the entrance the main entrancethere is at Eglinton and Leslie
and it's it runs north towardsGlendon campus, part of of York
(32:09):
university, and that is a very,very special place, a mix of
riparian, uh wetland and uhforest habitat.
Um Earl Bales forest, bathurstand Shepherd is the best place
to go see spring ephemerals,trilliums, gentian ground,
(32:34):
ginger, mayflower.
Stay on the trails, please,people, but go and check out.
Jan Sumner (32:40):
That forest understory is among my, my
favorite so that would be rightaround now, right it's?
Yes, it was okay, all right,cool.
Um, that's.
That's really interesting.
That's that's from somebodywho's worked for 25 years on
toronto's forest.
Um, so what's the?
(33:00):
What are the hopes andchallenges or the goals for
Toronto?
We've talked about the canopy.
Are there other?
Yeah, what are the positive?
What are the trends?
Where is this going?
Kim Statham (33:17):
That's an interesting question because I
think if you asked me last year,if you ask me in five years, I
might have a different answer.
Right now, I'm interested in anumber of things.
I think you know.
Coming through a globalpandemic, I think that climate
(33:38):
change and conversations aroundclimate resiliency are becoming
commonplace among manygenerations.
I am really inspired to see howpassionate people are about
trees in their neighborhoods,about nature in their cities.
(34:00):
There's an opportunity.
I mean, I've been doingcommunity engagement for as long
as I've been here.
Um, I've always had hundreds ofpeople coming out to events.
I've always had folks that thatare are interested in having
(34:28):
hands-on play in ecologicalsustainability, in climate
adaptation and mitigation, and Ithink we're really on the cusp
of this incredible participatoryengagement between
neighborhoods, communities andour urban forests, and we need
that.
How can we as a city or aprovince or a country, protect
(34:55):
and expand these natural areaswithout the people who live in
these cities, in this province,in this country, really feeling
passionate about whether it'sthe one tree you know around the
corner, whether it's the groveof trees in, you know their
local park, or whether it's thetrail that they walk or ride or
(35:16):
travel to, you know destinationwhere people go to seek that
refuge.
So I'm very excited, veryexcited about this engaged
community that we have inToronto.
I'd like to talk about a veryspecific ecosystem restoration
(35:39):
project that we've done fordecades.
That we've done for decades,and that's our high park
traditional and prescribed burn.
This is a really unique habitat.
The heart of the city is ourBlack Oak Savannah, and Black
Oak Savannas depend on fire toregenerate, to compete against
(36:02):
invasive species and lots ofother challenges that you see um
, especially here in urban areas.
And so you know, while we'vebeen, you know, doing this for I
think roughly 20 years, um,burning as a land management
technique has been taking placesince time immemorial by our
(36:23):
Indigenous communities.
The last few years, our burn atHigh Park has benefited from
the sharing of Indigenousknowledge and ways of knowing
and being, and it just tookplace earlier in April.
It is such an incredible I wasgoing to say event.
(36:48):
Really.
It's months of planning andjust to see how much the event
has been improved by Indigenousceremony, by Indigenous
knowledge, and we work with theIndigenous Land Stewards.
Welcome to the Clear Cut.
Hi, I'm Janet Sumner, ExecutiveDirector at Wildlands League.
Kaya Adleman (00:08):
And I'm Kaya Adelman, Carbon Manager at
Wildlands League.
Jan Sumner (00:14):
Wildlands League is a Canadian conservation
organization working onprotecting the natural world.
Kaya Adleman (00:21):
The Clear Cut is bringing to you the much-needed
conversation on Canadian forestmanagement and how we can better
protect one of Canada's mostimportant ecosystems, as our
forests are reaching a tippingpoint.
Jan Sumner (00:40):
All right, before we get started, and we've got a
terrific introduction with KimStatham from the City of Toronto
, who manages the urban forestryfor the city.
She manages forestry for theentire city of Toronto.
(01:06):
She doesn't have a line ofsight on some of these very
contentious issues whereforestry is happening or where
trees are being removed, forexample, with Ontario Place,
where 850 trees are slated to beremoved.
Kaya Adleman (01:16):
For our listeners who aren't living in Toronto
what is Ontario Place?
Jan Sumner (01:21):
Right.
So it's a development down onthe waterfront in Toronto.
It has been a destination for anumber of years to go to
concerts or to go for someevents.
They've had some Winterfestevents there, etc.
It's right across the lakeshoreportion of the Canadian
National Exhibition, across fromthe CNE, so that's
(01:43):
approximately where it is in thecity of Toronto.
It's a little bit west of thedowntown core and for a number
of years there had been someconsideration to put a casino
there and then that was revampedand I gather they're going to
put a large spa there andthey're talking about it being a
destination place for fivemillion visitors a year is uh,
(02:05):
yeah, I don't know, kaya, if yousaw the news.
You may not have, but lastnight the judges ruled that the
court case brought by the group,so the friends of ontario place
, couldn't go forward becausethere had been a new law passed
by the province of ontario, bythe premier, that did not allow
an environmental assessment togo forward on Ontario Place,
where there are these 850 treesand the group had been asking
(02:28):
for, you know, a chance to getan environmental assessment done
there.
Kaya Adleman (02:34):
And last night on June 11th yeah, at the time
we're recording this.
Jan Sumner (02:38):
Yeah.
So I'm sure there are somefolks around the city who are
feeling a little bit bruised bythat today around the city who
are feeling a little bit bruisedby that today, and this is all
a loss to the city of Toronto.
When we have to lose, you know,in some cases 1,500 trees and
in some cases, like the OntarioPlace one with 850 mature trees.
So these are all losses thatyou know, we don't kind of sit
(03:00):
down as a city and say what doesthis mean?
Overall, they're almost likeisolated incidences.
I'm sure this is happeningacross Canada, it's not just the
city of Toronto, although youmay not have had legislation
introduced by your premier toprevent you from looking at
endangered species orenvironmental assessments, but
the same problem is there interms of urban forestry.
(03:22):
There are so many things eatingaway at the pockets of nature
and it's not necessarilyhappening in a thoughtful,
concerted plan.
What can it control?
And when does the province comein and say, well, no, we're
(03:48):
going to take this over, orwe're going to manage this, or
you don't get a line of sightand you can't challenge it and
you can't look at endangeredspecies or an environmental
assessment.
So that's a context everybodyshould have in mind and this
discussion that we're havingwith Kim.
Even though she is managingforestry urban forestry for the
city of Toronto, she doesn'thave a line of sight on
everything.
She talks about.
That in the pod.
Kaya Adleman (04:09):
Yeah.
Jan Sumner (04:13):
Okay, kaya, we are just about to start our
interview with Kim Statham, andI've known Kim ooh, it's
definitely over 10 years, I cantell you, Janet, it's 17.
Kim Statham (04:27):
17.
Because I joined your boardwhen I was eight months pregnant
with my first born daughter.
Jan Sumner (04:33):
Oh, my goodness.
Okay.
So 17 years I've known Kim andwe've invited her here to.
We often are talking aboutforestry and everybody thinks,
oh, it's all this forestrythat's out there in the big wide
world and it's commercial andit's big feller bunches and all
the rest of it.
But today we get a treatbecause we're going to go inside
the depths of the city oftoronto and start talking about
(04:54):
urban forestry, which is very,very important, uh, for people
who live in cities, but also forthe planet and for nature and,
more broadly, for Canada.
So hopefully we get into all ofthat good stuff and I'm looking
forward to this.
How about you, kaya?
Kaya Adleman (05:10):
Oh, I'm really excited.
I mean, I'm an urbanist that'sone of my identifiers and I love
trees and I love cities and Ilove the crossover between the
two.
So I'm very excited to havethis discussion.
Jan Sumner (05:28):
All right, Kim, tell us a little bit about you other
than the fact that we've knowneach other 17 years and it was
at the eight months pregnant.
That's right.
Kim Statham (05:38):
That's right.
No rest for the wicked.
Well so pleased to be here.
I have worked in service ofToronto's urban forest for 25
years this year, so I have along history, like you, of
living in a city, playing in acity and being really interested
, passionate and dedicated abouttrees and natural environment
(06:02):
in urban environmentsenvironment in urban
environments.
I'm currently the director ofToronto Urban Forestry.
I look after tree planting,forest and natural area
management, tree protection andall of our policy standards and
strategies.
I have the best portfolio Really, uh work.
(06:23):
And I, I think you know maybe Icame came by this work
naturally.
In fact, I might actually comeby it genetically.
I'm the great granddaughter oflumberjacks, uh, from the
penitent wishing area.
But before I even knew that, Istarted a career in
environmental science.
My background is landscapeecology.
I've studied conservationpolicy.
(06:47):
I grew up in the 70s and 80swhere we got kicked out at
sunrise and we didn't come homeuntil the streetlights were on.
I grew up in the GTA and spenta lot of summers with family in
the Ottawa area.
I was that kid who just got tonature play, explore forests,
(07:10):
explore species all day long,first one in, last one out of
the lake.
That's about as natural as youcome by a career and a lifelong
passion, I think.
Jan Sumner (07:22):
I think, being the descendant of lumberjacks, just
about says it all.
Kim Statham (07:30):
I have some work to do.
That's fantastic.
Kaya Adleman (07:42):
For our listeners and the purposes of the podcast
episode, could you maybe likedefine what urban forestry is
and how it's different than justthe traditional sense of the
word forestry?
Kim Statham (07:51):
Sure, well, if any of your listeners are.
You know forestry students, thevery first definition you learn
is from Jorgensen, and you know1974, urban forestry was
defined as a specialized branchof forestry and has its
objectives to the cultivationand management of trees for
their present and potentialcontribution to the
psychological, sociological andeconomic well-being of urban
(08:16):
society.
So decades ago we recognizethat value of trees in an urban
setting and we still see thattoday.
You know I wake up everymorning, as you know, director
of Toronto Urban Forestry.
My day could be about trees, itcould be about soil, it could be
(08:39):
about fundraising, it could beabout community programming, it
could be about partnerships,growing conditions, amazing
studies, like our tree canopystudies.
It inherently links nature andtrees to communities and cities
(09:00):
that depend on them and it's avery different type of
management than you would see intraditional forestry, in crown
forests or in other large areas,for that matter.
Urban forestry is different forevery city, whether you're a
town, hamlet, one of the largestcities in North America, it
looks different.
But I feel that the keyingredient is that relationship,
(09:21):
that key relationship betweentrees and people wow, that's a
pretty big job, kim yeah, 25years and counting yeah, you
must have.
Well, you certainly sound likeyou have a deep and abiding
passion for it I do and, um, youknow, one thing that someone
(09:45):
commented to me, uh, once wasreally that same interest and
dedication of all of my team.
You know, people choose to gointo forestry, people choose to
go into environmental sciencefor all kinds of reasons and I
really find that my team, thefolks that I interact with,
(10:05):
we're here for all the rightreasons and we're so passionate
about it.
You know, whether it's you know, folks that are studying
invasive species or forest pests, whether it's, you know, my
team that is enforcing bylaws,looking at development review,
folks who are choosing species,the right species for our
(10:28):
streets, for our parks, for ournatural areas, folks who are
writing policies and strategiesto help us.
You know, get there and guidethe way.
We all have a really, reallyinnate love for this work that
we do.
Jan Sumner (10:44):
And I would hazard to say that the people of
Toronto have an innate love forhow green the city is.
So you mentioned all thedifferent things that you do at
(11:06):
the city of Toronto.
Can you maybe unpack that alittle bit more?
The organizational structurelike which?
Which department do you sit inand like?
Kim Statham (11:14):
yeah, toronto urban forestry is within parks,
forestry and recreation divisionat the city of Toronto.
We're a frontline division, wehave a lot of interaction with
the public, we are, we aremanagers, we're stewards, we're
programmers of public space andpublic realm and the work that
(11:35):
we do is so important to thequality of life, to the
livability of cities, and thework that we do is very
interesting and very important.
Jan Sumner (11:49):
And how much land are we talking about, like what
is the?
I mean, obviously in a citythere's roads and you know,
public spaces like peopleshopping and homing, home spaces
, et cetera, but what are wetalking about in terms of the
amount of land that you'remanaging?
Kim Statham (12:09):
So we have over 1500 parks in the city of
Toronto.
We define our ravine lands orour natural areas, and we have
17% of Toronto's land base isprotected by our ravine and
natural feature bylaw.
(12:29):
That's important because itrecognizes the topography and
these really unique naturalspaces.
30% of Toronto's populationlive within a 10 to 15 minute
walk of one of these naturalareas.
That's incredible in terms ofaccess access to nature, access
(12:54):
to trees and forests and I thinkthat you know 30% equates to
over a million people, so that'sa very incredible resource.
Jan Sumner (13:08):
Yeah, that's really fantastic and I think you were
mentioning this to us beforethat the ravine system in
Toronto, I mean it's one of theplaces that you can't build a
house on right.
It is protected as a naturalarea.
Kim Statham (13:24):
Not every city has that luxury argue, one of the
things that makes Toronto uniqueis that natural topography and
is this ravine system.
We have six rivers, threemassive watersheds, six in total
that run through the city.
You know, along with theToronto and Region Conservation
(13:44):
Authority regulations, we havequite a lot of protected area in
this city and I argue that wehave.
That's why we have 89ecologically sensitive areas.
It's why we have a tree canopyof roughly 31%, it's why we have
(14:04):
11.5 million trees in Torontoon both public and private land.
It's really our natural historythat has shaped how our city
has grown and how we have andcontinue to protect and conserve
these natural areas.
Jan Sumner (14:23):
So I know some cities have a canopy cover
target or they might have avegetation target.
Does Toronto have one?
Kim Statham (14:31):
We do.
Our tree canopy target is 40%by 2050.
And that aligns with the goodfolks and colleagues in our
environment and climate divisionwho have net zero goals by 2040
as well as 2050.
Jan Sumner (14:48):
Can you draw me the you said it aligns with them?
Can you maybe say a little bitmore about what that alignment
is?
Kim Statham (14:54):
Well, net zero is about emission reduction,
greenhouse gas emissionreduction, and we see that
primarily in a lot of cities.
You know see that in thebuilding sector and
transportation sector.
You know see that in thebuilding sector and
transportation sector, Trees,green infrastructure are, and
(15:15):
ultimately, nature basedsolutions are a huge part of
climate resiliency of cities.
And so when we look at, well,how are we drawing down, how are
we reducing greenhouse gasemissions?
Well, what's here, on the otherside of in our green
infrastructure, what issequestering carbon, what is
storing carbon perpetually, eventhough forests are a natural
(15:36):
system constantly growing,maturing, dying, growing again,
that that you know overallresource, that urban forest is
this perpetual cycle of carbonsequestration and storage.
And so these things need to gohand in hand, both the gray side
as well as the green side.
Jan Sumner (15:59):
And are you currently tracking how much
carbon is being absorbed by thecity's trees and forests?
Kim Statham (16:08):
So, like any good city, we want to know what we
have, and so Toronto hasundertaken now two tree canopy
studies, one in 2008 and one in2018.
And part of what we measure ina tree canopy study are those
environmental benefits, orecosystem services, if you will.
So in 2018, the annualecosystem services provided by
(16:33):
Toronto's urban forest equaled atotal of $55 million every year
, and that is broken down into$4 million in gross carbon
sequestration, $37.6 million inpollution removal, $4.8 million
in avoided runoff, million inpollution removal, 4.8 million
(16:56):
in avoided runoff and 8.2million in energy savings.
It's quite obvious how you knowthe you know trees benefit, the
energy efficiency of buildings,how our footprint, our access
to soil, plantable areas, how.
This is all one you know, oneyou know set of resources that
(17:17):
we need to measure.
Jan Sumner (17:19):
Yeah, I want to dig in a bit more there on that
because I know for some peoplethey may not think of these
terms, but because I've beenaround the block a couple of
times.
I've worked on a variety ofissues, from climate change to
nature conservation, and I knowthat one of the important things
that trees do in a city isthey're actually a cooling agent
(17:40):
, and that reduces our relianceon air conditioning for when it
gets really hot in the summer.
So if you're lucky enough inthe city of Toronto to be living
in an area that gets cooled bytrees, maybe your office, maybe
your home draws much less demandon the air cooling capacity for
(18:01):
the city, which can run quitehigh in a very, very hot summer.
That would be one way in whichtrees are providing that energy
benefit right.
Kim Statham (18:10):
Absolutely, and for those that don't have cooling
systems where they live or wherethey work.
This is where Toronto's parksystem and ravine system is a
sense of refuge.
We saw it through COVID for anumber of other reasons.
This dependence, this need forthese natural areas for people
(18:37):
to seek refuge, solitude,recreation, meeting places,
community hubs.
Think of, you know, think ofany hot summer day, you know,
living in Toronto, and thinkabout the streets you choose to
walk down.
Think about the parks that youchoose to visit.
Think about where you sit.
You know when you're in thatpark, and it will be in the
(19:01):
shade of a tree.
It will be next to, you know,one of our rivers, or maybe next
to Lake Ontario, lake Ontario.
We need these nature elementsin any big city to contribute to
it's a critical part of qualityof life and livability.
Jan Sumner (19:24):
We now have qualified to be able to run
commercials on our podcast.
This may not seem like a goodthing for some people, but for
us at the Clear Cut it's a verygood thing.
It means that you our publicare now downloading over a
thousand copies of each episodea month, which is fantastic, and
(19:47):
it puts us into a new bracketwhere people want to actually
advertise on the podcast.
We are going to do our verybest to make sure that the ads
that run on the podcast aresomething that may be of
relevance or of interest to you,and hope that you can listen to
these ads and see them as amarker of success and your faith
in the podcast.
So thank you so much forlistening to the Clear Cut.
(20:09):
I know that, kaya and Iappreciate it so very, very much
.
Thank you so much for listeningto the Clear Cut.
I know that Kaya and Iappreciate it so very, very much
.
Thank you.
And I know that the city ofToronto is trying to get to a
40% tree canopy cover and Iimagine that that has something
to do with also the distancefrom nature for the average
person.
Is there any kind of guidelinethat you're using to say, well,
(20:36):
we've got this much and we'regoing to try and hit this tree
canopy cover, but how do weactually make sure that
everybody is within I don't know?
20 minutes, half an hour,whatever it is?
What's your metric that you'reusing to say we have to have
access for nature, for this manyTorontonians?
Kim Statham (20:48):
So, back in 2021, we had finished our second tree
canopy study.
We were aware of the trendsthat we were seeing.
At that time.
We had seen that our canopy hadgenerally increased about 2%,
which is pretty significant,considering in that 10 years we
(21:12):
had the peak of emerald ashborer, one of well, north
America's greatest forest insectpests.
Our tree numbers increased byabout 1.3 million.
Our street tree conditionimproved, overall tree diversity
increased um.
(21:34):
But something remained over that10-year trend, and that was the
inequitable distribution ofToronto's urban forest.
Again, I think in large partdue to the natural topography of
the city.
We have areas that we didn'tdevelop, that we protect, we
(21:56):
have a really strong park systemand street tree network, but
inherently we have inequityacross our geography, and that
was something that we wanted toreally look at and deal with
straight on.
We adopted a tree equityapproach.
(22:19):
And what tree equity is?
It's a concept from Americanforests, an American
not-for-profit, who have anassessment tool that in cities,
it's not just about where yourcanopy is, but it's about these
key socio-equity factors thatshould be considered, like
(22:41):
demographics, like race, likeincome and surface temperature,
so where you know where are thehottest neighborhoods within a
city.
And so we did an analysis tolook at tree equity across
Toronto with all of these layers, and that is what is going to
(23:03):
guide our prioritization forintervention.
Tree equity is about allowingand having the benefits of trees
available to all of itscitizens, and I really love this
approach.
It is you know, we really takeequity as a factor in all of the
work that we do, and applyingit to tree equity and how we
(23:27):
expand Toronto's urban forest toreach that 40% goal is
imperative and it's necessary.
Kaya Adleman (23:37):
Did you find that, I guess where the percentage of
tree canopy was the highest inToronto often fell like a long
socioeconomic demographicfactors?
Kim Statham (23:50):
So Toronto's pattern of tree canopy is really
a reflection of our topography.
So Toronto's urban canopy ismade up, of course, from land on
public but as well as privateland, and patterns of
neighbourhoods correlate withour tree canopy.
(24:12):
And where we're looking to dothat, those interventions where
we see low tree equity, areareas that we look for available
space, we look for ability toimprove biodiversity and, of
course course, look at towardthe communities to be involved
(24:35):
in expanding canopies and at thevery neighborhood level.
Jan Sumner (24:40):
Mm-hmm.
So I liked what you were sayingthere in terms of we have kind
of the public places where wehave trees and vegetation.
We also have a city or the roadcanopy or what were you talking
about?
The city?
Kim Statham (25:02):
street.
Jan Sumner (25:02):
Oh, like a street tree canopy yeah, street tree
canopy, and then you also havecontributions that are made from
private land.
So, for example, in my backyardI have 10 nice big trees just
because I inherited that.
That's what was here when Imoved in, and I'm lucky enough
to have that because it was apiece of land that some family
(25:24):
had owned since the 1970s and sothe trees were still here and
it was fantastic.
In fact, a couple of thesetrees are close to 200 years old
.
So that's fantastic, right, butthat's something that I
inherited it, you know or notinherited?
I bought and it was here, butthat comes from a private land
contribution.
(25:44):
And then you've got the streetcanopy, and then you've got the
places where you might have aparquet or a park or a more
public space or a ravine whereyou have trees.
So all of those contribute tothat.
And are you like, obviouslyyou're not managing the trees on
my private land, but you'remanaging all the other trees,
right?
Kim Statham (26:03):
So we have a unique role to play on private land.
Back again in about 2021, ourtree planting strategy
identified neighborhoods,private land in neighborhoods,
as one of the best opportunitiesto expand Toronto's canopy and
(26:25):
since that time we've developedand grown a grants and
incentives program where weprovide free trees to individual
landowners, to community groups, to increase canopy on private
land.
We have an initiative right nowCommunity Canopies where you
can go online and register for afree tree.
(26:47):
This is in partnership with theArbor Day Foundation barriers
for home and landowners toincrease canopy and that's a
(27:08):
fantastic program.
I think to date we've given outapproximately 120,000 trees
through that program.
Jan Sumner (27:12):
I had one put on my front lawn.
Kim Statham (27:14):
There you go.
And then the other role we playon private land is through our
tree bylaws, is through our treebylaws.
Toronto has a suite of treeprotection bylaws for private
trees and properties within theravine lands where we regulate
tree removal and injury inservice of retaining Toronto's
(27:38):
existing tree canopy.
But also it gives us theability to minimize impacts and
maximize compensation when treesdo need to be removed or
injured for a variety of reasons.
Jan Sumner (28:04):
And is this something that, like?
I know that not every city hasthe wealth that Toronto does,
but I do know that many citieshave canopy targets or are
looking at vegetation targets,and I know that you don't just
you know, just go to your ownlittle office, but you're
actually networking and goingbeyond the city in terms of
understanding what is happeningout in the broader world.
(28:26):
Can you give us any insightinto that?
Kim Statham (28:31):
Well, you're right, natural systems, tree canopies
don't stop at our you knowgeographic and municipal borders
.
We have vegetation zones thatchange, so you know, species
that you see in southern Ontarioare different than the ones
that you see here on the northshore of Lake Ontario and that's
(28:53):
different than what you see innorthern Ontario.
What's important is, I think,that network of knowledge
management.
You know stewardship andthere's a number of different.
You know stewardship andthere's a number of different.
You know organizations thatkeep that in mind.
I was very honored to berecently elected to the Ontario
(29:14):
chapter of the InternationalSociety of Arbora Culture this
new board position for me, janetand it's been fantastic to
collaborate with not justmunicipal you know managers, but
with practitioners, withgrowers, with researchers and
academics.
(29:34):
We have a lot to learn fromeach other, especially at this
time where we're experiencingclimate change.
We're very curious what thatimpact will be on our vegetation
zones, on our growing seasons,how species react to whether
(29:56):
it's drought, whether it'sextreme temperature, and so it's
very important to have anetwork in urban forestry where
we can learn from each other andreally put those best practices
into place.
Jan Sumner (30:12):
What are some like?
We talked about urban forestryand some of that is individual
trees, sometimes it'scollections of trees, sometimes
it's different types ofvegetation with trees, et cetera
.
But if you were to sit down andthink about the areas in
Toronto that have like a forest,what would be some of your
favorites?
Kim Statham (30:31):
Oh, you're going to give away all my secrets here.
This is where you find mesauntering around on weekends.
Jan Sumner (30:36):
Yeah, yeah.
Kim Statham (30:38):
So when I started my career here at the city, I
was responsible to design andimplement restoration projects
in the ravines with the help ofcommunity volunteers.
To say that I started my career, as you know, with the gold
star.
That was it.
That was fantastic work.
I specifically looked after theUpper Don watershed.
(31:01):
So while the headwaters of theDon originate north of our
political boundaries for yourlisteners that includes the
branches of the West Don, theEast Don they travel south, meet
Taylor Massey Creek andcontinue as the Lower Don River
(31:22):
down toward Lake Ontario.
So a lot of the places that areclosest to my heart are the
ones where I worked with kids,adults, community members,
corporate events, where weplanted trees, we planted native
materials to improvebiodiversity, to improve the
(31:48):
ecological integrity of thesespaces.
Glendon Forest is located withinthe Sunnybrook Park complex at
the entrance the main entrancethere is at Eglinton and Leslie
and it's it runs north towardsGlendon campus, part of of York
(32:09):
university, and that is a very,very special place, a mix of
riparian, uh wetland and uhforest habitat.
Um Earl Bales forest, bathurstand Shepherd is the best place
to go see spring ephemerals,trilliums, gentian ground,
(32:34):
ginger, mayflower.
Stay on the trails, please,people, but go and check out.
Jan Sumner (32:40):
That forest understory is among my, my
favorite so that would be rightaround now, right it's?
Yes, it was okay, all right,cool.
Um, that's.
That's really interesting.
That's that's from somebodywho's worked for 25 years on
toronto's forest.
Um, so what's the?
(33:00):
What are the hopes andchallenges or the goals for
Toronto?
We've talked about the canopy.
Are there other?
Yeah, what are the positive?
What are the trends?
Where is this going?
Kim Statham (33:17):
That's an interesting question because I
think if you asked me last year,if you ask me in five years, I
might have a different answer.
Right now, I'm interested in anumber of things.
I think you know.
Coming through a globalpandemic, I think that climate
(33:38):
change and conversations aroundclimate resiliency are becoming
commonplace among manygenerations.
I am really inspired to see howpassionate people are about
trees in their neighborhoods,about nature in their cities.
(34:00):
There's an opportunity.
I mean, I've been doingcommunity engagement for as long
as I've been here.
Um, I've always had hundreds ofpeople coming out to events.
I've always had folks that thatare are interested in having
(34:28):
hands-on play in ecologicalsustainability, in climate
adaptation and mitigation, and Ithink we're really on the cusp
of this incredible participatoryengagement between
neighborhoods, communities andour urban forests, and we need
that.
How can we as a city or aprovince or a country, protect
(34:55):
and expand these natural areaswithout the people who live in
these cities, in this province,in this country, really feeling
passionate about whether it'sthe one tree you know around the
corner, whether it's the groveof trees in, you know their
local park, or whether it's thetrail that they walk or ride or
(35:16):
travel to, you know destinationwhere people go to seek that
refuge.
So I'm very excited, veryexcited about this engaged
community that we have inToronto.
I'd like to talk about a veryspecific ecosystem restoration
(35:39):
project that we've done fordecades.
That we've done for decades,and that's our high park
traditional and prescribed burn.
This is a really unique habitat.
The heart of the city is ourBlack Oak Savannah, and Black
Oak Savannas depend on fire toregenerate, to compete against
(36:02):
invasive species and lots ofother challenges that you see um
, especially here in urban areas.
And so you know, while we'vebeen, you know, doing this for I
think roughly 20 years, um,burning as a land management
technique has been taking placesince time immemorial by our
(36:23):
Indigenous communities.
The last few years, our burn atHigh Park has benefited from
the sharing of Indigenousknowledge and ways of knowing
and being, and it just tookplace earlier in April.
It is such an incredible I wasgoing to say event.
(36:48):
Really.
It's months of planning andjust to see how much the event
has been improved by Indigenousceremony, by Indigenous
knowledge, and we work with theIndigenous Land Stewards.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.